Killing the music

Today is the day my love for Sirius ended.*

Recently you've received email from me pleading to have PUNK 29 return to the air. In fact, I was told by Sirius in email, that the AC/DC channel on 29 was only a temporary move and that in January, PUNK 29 and it's programming would return to the air.*

And after I found out about the PUNK 29 changes I vowed to cancel my subscription(s) if they ever take away BACKSPIN 43.*

This morning I lost BACKSPIN 43.

You are doing your subscribers a huge disservice by eliminating an entire era or "classic" music. During the late '70s and early '80s both PUNK and OLD SCHOOL RAP were an underground movement that people around the world embraced. If you grew up during this time these two music genre shaped a way of life. Hard to find mix tapes and do-it-yourself record releases were an exciting part of this movement. Block parties on the East, and basement shows and independent tours in the back of a van to the West - MADE the culture during this time.

There is a music history lesson here that is being overlooked by your programmers. Old school rap and the music celebrated on BACKSPIN 43, and the live DJ personalities on the channel are iconic in their contribution to this history. These people (Kurtis Blow, Dana Dane, Lady B, Awesome 2, DJ Red Alert, and everyone else on BACKSPIN 43) invented the music we hear over the airways today. They invented today's popular music and created a style that influences everything in popular culture today. And for those of us who grew up during this period of musical pioneer - we LOVE having this connection to our own roots, and the roots all of the music we hear today.

Punk rock music for years was looked down by the establishment. Truly and underground movement, many of the early punkers had to D.I.Y. They did everything themselves. Produced music, prepared shows and national tours, put recordings onto records and hand delivered them to record stores across the country. These early Pioneers put their hearts and souls into their music. Punk is something you live and love. These artists lay the groundwork for an explosion of New Punk bands in the late '90s and '00s, and a style and movement that is growing in our current popular culture. And this history, while once celebrated as finally finding a home in current times, is now SADLY being displaced by your programmers at Sirius, by canceling PUNK 29.

You are doing your customers and subscribers a disservice by eliminating this connection to a musical era that is so important to music. Almost without a care your programming department has stood high above us all, and looked down upon these pioneers once again. Pushing rap and punk rock back under the rug, where for years they were kept down and walked on by popular culture. Today, Sirius stepped on them once again.

With more than 10 channels dedicated to classic rock, and 6 more country music - it is a shame that we are losing the only 2 channels that celebrate music history and an inspiring era of HIP HOP and PUNK. With more than 200 channels available - there MUST be a home for PUNK 29 and BACKSPIN 43.

Of course I originally subscribed to the service for Howard Stern, and I've come to love Bubba the Love Sponge and Ferrall. At the same time, I found the music channels to fill that missing part of musical history that is mentioned above. I exclusively listen to PUNK 29 and BACKSPIN 43 for music on your service. And while the talk shows fill a few hours during the day, the music is (WAS) enjoyed for hours every night and all weekend. A one hour old-school show on ch. 40, and one hour with Marky Ramone on ch. 28 - WILL NOT SUFFICE!

This is my official plea - you MUST bring back PUNK 29 and BACKSPIN 43. Please let the voice of one subscriber (with three radios) speak for the many who've enjoyed this programming. I pay hundreds of dollars per year to enjoy this programming and my opinion needs to count.

Find a home for these musical pioneers, or lose a Sirius fan for life!

Backspin was the ultimate outlet for true hip hop music, unlike the crap on MTV and the FM airwaves of the last ~15 years. In my teens I listened mostly to classic and 90s rock, and was always disgusted with gangsta and 'modern' rap. It wasn't until 3 years ago when I became a SIRIUS subscriber that my mind was opened to the purity of old school hip hop -- Eric B & Rakim, EPMD, Pharcyde, Tribe, Biz Markie, Run DMC -- I could go on and on...

Exposure to niche, cultured music like backspin tears down stereotypes and fosters tolerance in those who would otherwise have no way of hearing the lyrics and beats of truly talented individuals.

Now, I'm willing to give the so called substitute channel 'Hip-Hop Nation' a chance...but I can't help that the old school rhythms that stimulate my mind will be diluted with payola crap from whoever the 'new rapper of the week' is..

I feel the same way you guys do, just hope more people are vocal about it. Also, did you notice that they have castrated "Hot Jams"? All music is now edited. If I wanted that, I would stick with the HD radio channels offered by my "Z" station!

I am also disappointed about the new channel listings. My favorite channel, BoomBox, was dropped this morning. Sirius recommended AltNation for its replacement. Are you Serious Sirius? How do you suggest these two channel had any similarities to each other?

It's like someone asked me what my favorite stations on Sirius are and then took them ALL away. Other then Howard, the only station I have left now is the former Reggae Rythms channel now called the Joint.

Here is what I listen(ed) to in my order of preference:

1)HOWARD - What can you say, he's the best and he's the reason I subscribed in the first place...unfortunately he will be gone when his contract is up in 2 years but I am enjoying every minute while we have him.
2)BOOMBOX - best station ever...great remixes and unique/hard to find music with hard beats. Perfect to keep you awake on long drives and for working out to. I had 18 hours of BOOMBOX stored in my replay which is now gone too.
3)BACKSPIN - How can you really have any kind of hip hop presence without the classics. With so many stations dedicated to the birth and evolution of rock why eliminate the ONLY station dedicated to a significantly important era of this genre.
4)REGGAE RYTHMS - I hope they don't change a thing with this one
5)90's ALTERNATIVE - I know this one is now LITHIUM but when the name changed it seemed like they played a lot less of the songs I enjoyed hearing before. I still check in from time to time though.
6)STROBE - this is was a cool station because it was more of the dance type disco and early 80's that I like. It was a good home for artists like Zapp, Dazz, Laid Back, etc...

I feared things would change for the worse with the merger. I had XM for free in my work provided car and after two months I went and bought a stilletto on my own dime and ripped out the XM unit because I couldn't take the programming anymore. Since the beginning of the merger talks I didn't mind if the subscription fees went up slightly but the one thing I didn't want is to be forced back into the XM programming. I never once thought they would eliminate channels altogether.

Now I will have to probably go back to an ipod dock which sucks because it is a lot more distracting to find songs and playlists plus with ipods you aren't introduced to new or different music.....

Dude, you can send 'em all the hand written caligraphy letters and flashy professional emails you want to, but these are big business guys, and you gotta talk to them in the one language they understand: money.

Cancel that shit, that's what I'm doing, and I already wrote to Sirius and said that I'll subscribe when Punk is back.

And I kept their number in my cell phone, so I'm pretty much going to constantly harass all of their stations until Punk comes back, including Faction, Shade, and just about anyone else I can think of.

I too am pretty pissed about Boombox and Backspin being gone as well. But frankly, I'm a punk, and we are a hard group to fight.

Its horrible becuase if they didnt merge I'd switch to XM for the ryhme and the system. But those are gone too!

Its horrible. Loss of Boombox 39, backspin 43. I cant believe it. Less electronic stations now. What a shame. I'm soooo upset. I have 3 radios and am very hurt. I wish there was an alternative but going back to FM I just cant do.. so it looks like I'm shoved.

i know, pretty sad isn't it, they have a monopoly on this now, we can't even switch providers anymore for different programming. I live in an area with pretty terrible radio stations, sirius was the best $15/month I spent , the beat was better than BPM, but its boombox that I miss the most, by far my favorite channel...